Best Friends
by Freestylesmile
Summary: Lightning and Fang have been best friends for a long time. They've gone through high school and college together, supporting each other through all their hardships. Now with established lives and careers, Lightning begins to feel like she wants something more. Problem is, Fang has a girlfriend. (This is a best friends to lovers story. Lightning is Demisexual/Demiromantic).
1. Chapter 1

It was easier not to think, sometimes.

Lightning's running shoes hit the pavement in quick, rhythmic steps. Five miles in and she was still pushing herself, music blaring in her ears. Normally she didn't bring music, preferring to remain alert of her surroundings. This time, however, the volume was cranked up high. The last thing she wanted to hear right now were her own thoughts.

She was faster than anyone she knew, yet somehow she couldn't outrun this.

Three miles later, and she had to gradually slow her pace to a fast walk. With the sun's gentle morning rays greeting her, her mind remained blissfully clear as she brisked across several residential blocks and finally up the driveway to her house. She was tuned out all the way to the shower, letting the cold water numb her further.

She dressed in her blue uniform, tugged her boots on, checked and holstered her gun. She looked at herself in the mirror as she buckled her gear in place, adjusting here and there. Each movement was familiar and automatic. She lost herself in the routine, nearly forgetting when she'd moved toward the kitchen.

The coffee started brewing when her phone buzzed on the counter. Fang's smiling picture appeared.

Lightning looked back at the coffee pot, shifting the weight on her feet. She glanced at the phone again and memories of last night slipped in.

It was their weekly lady's night out with Serah, Vanille when she could make it, Fang, and Fang's girlfriend Aerith.

None of them drank too much, sometimes nothing at all. But occasionally when they were having a really good time, some got a little more tipsy than usual.

The phone was still vibrating. Closing and opening her eyes, Lightning swept a finger quickly across the screen and put the phone against her ear.

"Hey."

"Morning, Light," Fang responded cheerfully. Even with her heart this raw, it was still good to hear her friend's voice. "How'd you sleep?"

"You know me. I never sleep," Lightning replied with all the sarcasm she could muster. Which was a lot.

Fang barked a laugh. "Good. Just thought I'd check and make sure you're still bleeding your eyes out over your reports or whatever it is that keeps you up these days." A short pause. "You, uh, left kinda early last night."

Lightning shook her head, choosing to ignore the last comment, and sighed loud enough for Fang to hear. "As per Doctor Fang's orders, I am getting five hours of sleep every night. Most of the time."

Fang clicked her tongue in a disapproving manner. "I'm pretty sure _Doctor_ Fang's orders were seven to eight hours."

Lightning opened the fridge and pulled out an egg carton and a half-empty package of bacon. "Huh, I don't seem to recall."

"You're a terrible patient."

"You're a terrible doctor."

"You get what you pay for, sunshine. And technically, I'm not a doctor."

"I see where I went wrong," Lightning retorted, rolling her eyes.

Fang chuckled. A pleasant silence followed as Lightning went about fixing her breakfast as best she could with one hand. It was always easy to quietly enjoy Fang's presence, even over the phone.

Eventually, Fang said, "Remember when we were kids and used to play doctor?"

Lightning's mouth curved slightly. "We'd take turns with who was the doctor because both of us were always getting hurt somehow."

"Yeah. I'm surprised we even have knees left as many times as we scraped them. I guess we were pretty good doctors, eh?"

"I guess we were," Lightning agreed.

There was some shifting noise over the phone, and then Fang's voice came a bit further away. "Hey, babe."

Lightning took the phone away from her ear and put it on the counter. She waited a bit before putting it on speaker.

Fang had always been a noisy kisser. It used to only _annoy_ Lightning. When they were young she would tease Fang about it, which usually ended with herself in a headlock. But it had never bothered her this much. Through high school and college she cared very little about who her best friend was with so long as they didn't hurt her. Yet even the ones she hadn't liked never made her feel so... ill.

When had that changed...

It seemed to be only over the past few months that she started looking at her best friend differently. Started wanting to be closer, somehow. She had tried to ignore it, but if anything she only became more aware of her friend in ways she hadn't before.

"Hey, Light. Since it's been warming up outside, Aerith and I were planning on going to the beach after work. Wanna join us?"

"Come with us, Lightning," came Aerith's warm voice.

Lightning stared at the bacon sizzling on the stove. Maybe this would have been easier if Aerith wasn't such a nice person.

Last night had been... more difficult than usual. Fang and Vanille got into one of their contests. And Fang was a physical sort of person even without alcohol involved. She'd teased Lightning in her usual matter, if a bit more sloppy. Lightning, in need of some air, excused herself to the restroom. When she came back and found Fang practically in Aerith's lap, the sharp twist in her chest lingered even during her run that morning.

"I can't today I'm..." She needed today. She needed today to get her head on straight and she would be fine. "I'm going to the gym."

"The gym?" Fang asked perplexedly. "I thought today was run day for you."

"Yeah. It was, I..." Lightning waved her hand vaguely, again saying the first thing that came to mind. "I slept through my alarm and I didn't have time."

"Huh, that doesn't sound like you. You sure you're alright? You're not getting sick, are you? I'm telling you, you need to sl-"

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." By this point she was scrambling her eggs so intently that some of the yolk spilled out of the skillet.

Fang was hesitant as she said, "Right. Well. Okay, sorry you can't make it. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure."

After hanging up, Lightning ate her breakfast in silence, munching every bite with a thoroughness that used to scare Serah. When she was finished, she dumped her dishes in the sink and grabbed her keys. She was halfway to her car when her phone buzzed again. A text from Fang.

 _Be careful out there officer._

She buckled herself in the car before replying with a simple ' _Will do.'_ and pulled out of the driveway.

It took fifteen minutes to get to the station. When she arrived in the parking lot, her partner Tifa was just getting out of her car. Tifa waved and wandered over.

"Did you miss your run this morning? You have that serious look again. More than usual."

"Yeah. I guess."

Tifa patted Lightning on the back and followed her to their squad car. "Let's get some coffee," was all she said as they got in.

It wasn't quite accurate to say she loved her job, but Lightning enjoyed it nonetheless. Others said they liked making a difference and helping people, and while that was all well and good, for her it was the discipline and focus it required. The need to be at her best every single day.

Their day was as routine as it could get, and Tifa didn't prod her with any personal questions. That was probably one of the reasons why they were still partners after a month, much to Chief Amodar's relief.

When she got off work, surprisingly on time for once, she was tired but feeling better. She waved goodbye to Tifa and got in her own car. Maybe she'd make some popcorn after dinner and watch a movie until she fell asleep.

Her phone vibrated.

 _Aerith had something come up. Meet u at gym._


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the feedback everyone! Here are some definitions for people unfamiliar with these terms:**

 **Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which someone feels sexual attraction only to people with whom they have an emotional bond.**

 **Demiromantic is a romantic orientation in which someone feels romantic attraction only to people with whom they have an emotional bond.**

 **More information can be found at these sites: (put a period after 'demisexuality/asexuality' for the link to work)**

 **demisexuality org/articles/what-is-demisexuality/**

 **asexuality org**

 **...**

* * *

 _On my way._

Lightning hit send and tossed her phone away. It clunked against the passenger side door and fell down under the seat.

With her head in both hands, she rubbed at her face. _Get it together_ , she told herself harshly before raising her head. She inhaled deeply, choosing to sit for a few minutes with one hand on the gear stick and the other propped against the door and under her chin. Finally muttering a swear, she turned the key in the ignition.

She should've told Fang she wasn't going to the gym. But then Fang would probably get worried and come to her house. Actually, that's exactly what she'd do.

With few options left to her – it wasn't helping that she really did want to see Fang – Lightning drove to the gym. Leaving her badge and gear in the car, she trudged inside and showed her membership card to the man at the desk – more out of habit than necessity. He simply gestured her on through.

The gym was decently sized, with offices for the staff in one section, cardio equipment on the second floor, weights on the first, and various spare rooms for different activities or classes. Plenty of members were there already for their after-work exercises.

Lightning spotted Fang on the ground floor, wearing her usual sweats and jacket while she was with a patient. She was currently helping an elderly woman through a series of leg stretches.

Fang nodded to Lightning as she came near, keeping most of her focus on her patient. "Alright, hold your leg right there for me. Can you go a bit further than that? There you go, that's good. I can tell you've been practicing these."

The woman smiled proudly. Lightning recognized her as a regular patient of Fang's. The small woman was clearly charmed by her physical therapist. "I would do anything you told me to do, Fang. You know that."

Fang just smiled politely at her, sneaking a wink at Lightning whom the woman had caught sight. "Oh, it looks like your handsome girlfriend is here just in time to catch me flirting again." She gave Lightning what she must have thought was an all-knowing smile.

"Hello, Miss Thompson," Lightning said politely. She used to try correcting her about Fang and herself being girlfriends, but Miss Thompson always forgot the next time they met anyway. It didn't help that Fang liked to encourage her.

"Ellen, you're going to get me in trouble again," Fang chastised gently. She looked at Lightning. "I see you got off work early."

"On time, actually."

"Which is early."

Miss Thompson pushed Fang's shoulder a little. "Now be nice to her, she must have had a hard day." She smiled back at Lightning. "How are you doing, dearie?"

"Just fine, thank you."

Honestly, Fang was grinning way more than the situation called for. "Did you need something, Light? We're almost done here."

"I forgot my gym clothes. Do you have spares in your office?"

"Sure do." Fang used her free hand to pull the lanyard from her neck and tossed the jangling keys to her.

As Lightning left, she heard Miss Thompson say, "I always did love a woman in uniform."

"Ellen, am I going to have to fight you for her?" Fang asked suspiciously.

"If I was thirty years younger, I would take you up on that."

Lightning escaped to Fang's office, closing the door against the raucous noises of the gym. The room was small, but Fang made good use of it.

Moving about the room, Lightning straightened the chairs, wiped bread crumbs off the desk, and organized some of the papers. She noticed the police radio sitting quietly near the computer monitor. Lightning had gotten it as a birthday gift for Fang. It was currently off, but she knew Fang liked to listen to it when she wasn't working with a patient.

She went to the filing cabinet in the corner and opened the bottom drawer. She rummaged through the pile of clean clothes, picking out a white t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Thankfully she was already wearing a sports bra from work. Lastly, she grabbed a pair of old sneakers at the bottom of the drawer.

Locking the door behind her and entering the women's changing room, she used another key on the lanyard for one of the lockers in the back. Some of Fang's clothes were in there, but it still had plenty of room.

She unbuckled her belt and pulled the shirt out of her pants. As she was unbuttoning the shirt, Fang appeared at her side, briefly touching a hand to her shoulder.

"Good to see you, sunshine." Fang smiled as she came around her and leaned against the lockers. "How are you?"

"Fine."

Fang tilted her head admonishingly. "Oh don't give me that. You can fool a seventy year old woman you talk to for one minute once a week, but I've known you your whole life and I can tell something's up. I mean," Fang scratched her head, looking to the side for a moment. "You don't need to talk about it if you're not feeling up to it. I just want you to know I'm here. Like always."

Lightning nodded, eyes on her buttons. "I know you are." Fang gripped her shoulder before turning toward the locker.

"What kind of exercises do you want to do today? You missed your run this morning, so should we get on the treadmills?"

"Yeah, that works." If she was on the treadmill, she could focus straight ahead and zone out.

Lightning finished pulling off her shirt, working around Fang to stow it in the locker before sitting down to take off her boots. Beside her, Fang removed her jacket, revealing a tight-fitting blue tank-top that left her shoulders and shoulder-blades bare. She bent over and swept her pants off in one motion, and Lightning felt a frustrating mix of relief and disappointment that Fang was wearing shorts underneath.

Snapping her eyes away, she stood and removed her own pants. When she reached for her shorts, she froze at the touch of fingertips against the waistband of her boxer briefs.

"Hey, are those new? They look nice, what brand are they?" Fang's fingertips skimmed over the waistband and Lightning's heart nearly flipped. "Huh, I may have to get those next time. See look at this," Fang retracted her hand, whipped down her own shorts, and pointed at a loose thread hanging out of the bottom of her briefs in the front. "Look at that. What the hell is that? I swear this is only the second time I've worn them and they're already falling apart."

Lightning eyed the dangling string without turning her head. Fang was no doubt a muscular woman. She'd been training her body to be that way for years upon years with exceptional results; a well developed six-pack and thighs that were all solid, pronounced muscle. And her underwear was doing very little to hide the wonderful shape of her hips.

"Huh," Lightning said, her mouth too dry for anything else. She went back to putting her own clothes on, burying her head in her shirt a moment longer than necessary before pulling it all the way down.

Over the past several months she'd somehow thought her growing romantic feelings toward Fang were difficult enough to deal with. But wanting to hold her hand had been one thing. Now her entire body was insisting on an altogether different sort of contact, and it seemed to require all of her substantial willpower to keep it in check.

Sealing her lips together, she focused as much attention as possible on getting dressed. Thankfully, Fang was used to her being relatively silent at times, and she kept up a monologue for the both of them.

Once her shoes were tied her, Lightning signaled she was ready to go. Fang, with her shorts back up, gripped her shoulder and steered her out of the locker room.

Up the stairs and through the door of the cardio room, they found most of the machines in use. They stood off to the side on a pair of mats to stretch until one of the treadmills became available. Fang gestured for Lightning to take it.

"I'm kinda feeling the stair master myself. You go ahead."

Stepping onto the belt, Lightning breathed a sigh of relief as she began her warm-up. Here she could focus. Here she could drift away for an hour and come back when she was ready. She would need to think only of the air passing through her lungs and the rhythm of her feet.

The occupant of the stair master in front of her left, and Fang went for it. Her eyebrows waggled at Lightning before she got on, and in seconds Lightning had a front row seat to Fang's backside.

Her legs suddenly felt much heavier.

What she didn't understand was that she didn't have the same reaction to anyone else in the room. Eyes darting about the room, she tried for a few minutes to garner some response from herself by staring at people who couldn't stare back.

And there was... nothing. Nothing other than disinterest or boredom or discomfort for even trying. She could _see_ they were attractive, but she didn't _feel_ anything.

But when she looked at Fang it was like a rush of electricity through her. Her legs felt weak and she almost couldn't focus. Her eyes wanted to linger on her shoulders, on her hips, on her legs. She wanted not only to be able to look but touch and _dammit_ if Fang didn't wear the tightest of clothing. She wanted to press up close behind her, hands on her hips, reach around to that thread dangling over her thigh as she buried her face in her neck-

Tearing her eyes away, Lightning ramped up the treadmill's speed, hoping to burn out every trace of desire in her body. But just as she was working herself back into the zone, her eyes would wander back up.

 _Why did it have to be Fang?_

She made it forty minutes before her legs were screaming and her lungs were burning too much to even try screaming. After slowing her speed for the next five minutes she hopped off, legs wobbly as she left the cardio room.

"Light." She turned around, having made it only a short distance down the hall. Fang jogged up to her, breathing hard. "Hey," was all she said, lifting her shirt to wipe the sweat from her face. Lightning looked down and then simply closed her eyes, though not before seeing the trails of sweat sliding over Fang's abs.

"I don't know what's going on with me," she blurted out, shaking her head. It was true, at least. "I don't know."

After a pause she heard, "I know I keep saying it, but are you sure you're not getting sick?" Lightning felt a hand brush her forehead and her eyes opened. Fang was looking at her carefully while murmuring, "Mm it's too hard to tell right now."

Lightning shook her head. "I'm not sick."

Fang nodded, though not convincingly. "Okay, alright. Well, we'll figure it out," she said, trying to sound encouraging. She grabbed Lightning's shoulder with one hand, the other moving to cup the side of her face. "We'll figure it out."

If there was one thing Lightning didn't need to be reminded of, it was how nice Fang's hands were. Lightning swallowed and nodded, using every ounce of will she possessed not to lean into that hand.

"Alright." Fang patted her shoulder once more, spun her about, and slung an arm around her. "Let's go shower!"

 _Oh_.

Back in the locker room Fang went to fetch towels, leaving Lightning to stand next to the locker, hands on her hips as she stared blankly into it. She heard the towels drop on the bench, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Fang pull her shirt and bra over her head in one smooth motion.

"I'm going to shower at home," Lightning said instantly. When Fang's eyes jerked up to her, she quickly stuck her head in the locker and rummaged through it for her clothes, heart rattling vigorously inside her chest.

There was an audible silence behind her before Fang spoke, "You okay to drive?"

"Yeah." Lightning balled up her clothes and belongings, holding them against herself as she turned and walked away, chin level and pointing straight ahead.

Fang called to her, "Hey Light."

Against her better judgment she turned back. Fang was just standing there, half undressed, sweat still visible on her torso. She raised her hand vaguely, brow furrowing with uncertainty before letting it drop uselessly at her side. "Call me tomorrow?" she asked finally. "Let me know how you're doing?"

Lightning nodded stiffly, turning away before she did something incredibly stupid.

…

She slept poorly that night. She was supposed to spend the day forgetting about Fang. Now, she could think of nothing else.

The next day, she didn't call.


	3. Chapter 3

School buses lined up outside. Parked with the rest of the parents, Lightning leaned against her car, sunglasses on and chewing gum.

With an impatient sigh, her phone was in her hand almost without thinking. It was a week now that she'd been ignoring Fang's calls and messages, and two days since those had halted altogether.

The bell rang. Lightning swallowed back a pang of guilt and stuffed her phone in her pocket. Minutes later the double doors swung open and all the children stuffed inside spilled out at once. Adults were trying to keep them from running and tripping.

A small girl carrying a horse-decorated backpack peeled off from a group and came running toward Lightning. Her bouncing blonde hair showed hints of pink in the sunlight, and her smile shone just as bright. Lightning crouched down and opened her arms, catching her niece in a hug.

"Hi, Aunt Light."

Lightning tucked some of her niece's hair behind her ear. "Where's your mom?"

"She's coming."

"Okay. Do you want to sit in the car while we wait?"

Sophie shook her head. "Can I go play?"

Lightning gestured for her backpack. As soon as she was relieved of the burden, Sophie sprinted toward the playground. After Lightning put the bag in the car she noticed one of the teachers approach, and a quick glance told her it wasn't Serah.

"Aerith."

Aerith's smile was warm and kind. "Helping your sister?"

"Yeah. I guess Snow is using their car, and I had an early shift today, so..." Lightning leaned against the car and shrugged.

Looking at the playground, Aerith said, "Your niece is very bright. One of my best students."

Lightning nodded. "Thank you."

Though she was hesitant, Aerith maintained the same friendly aura that seemed to come naturally to her. "I've been meaning to call you, actually. I wondered if you would be interested in talking over coffee later? I could use some advice, and I thought Fang's best friend could help me."

Uneasiness settled over her again for cutting contact. Were they having problems? Lightning kept her expression neutral while she thought it over. "Sure. I have to help Serah at the grocery store. I'll call you after?"

Aerith nodded and returned to organizing the children. Serah arrived shortly after, apologizing because she had to deal with some troublesome kids after class. They called Sophie back. Lightning first helped her niece into the car, and then her sister. Serah allowed herself to be coddled, but she laughed all the same.

"Lightning, I'm hardly even showing yet. I can get into a car just fine."

"You should still be careful," was all Lightning said.

Serah gave her a look. "I've done this before, sis."

Lightning gave her a look right back as she grabbed the seat belt. "Serah, if there's anything I will not forget it's you and Snow standing across the table on my twenty-first birthday to tell me that not only is my baby sister getting married, she's also pregnant." She buckled her sister in with a defining click.

"In retrospect, getting you a knife that day was probably not the best idea."

"Hmph."

Serah was making the exact opposite expression she had made after the news got out. She was glowing, an easy smile on her face. "You know what I tell Snow when he's trying too hard to take care of me?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes.

Serah grabbed her gently by the head and kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

Lightning had to work to keep her frowning expression, but she ended up ruffling her sister's hair before closing the door.

"Sophie, are you buckled in back there?" she asked as she got into the driver's seat.

"Yes, Aunt Light."

Serah looked at her daughter through the rear-view mirror. "You wouldn't want your aunt to arrest you, right?"

Sophie giggled, a smile stretched wide across her face as she shook her head.

As Lightning began the long endeavor of getting out of the school parking lot, she asked, "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

Of course she wasn't going to get Serah to read her mind. Lightning rolled her eyes and looked out the side window for a second. "That it was Snow."

Serah paused long enough to make Lightning's hands sweat. "Because he's the only one I've ever been with?"

Lightning winced internally. "That's not what I meant. " She glanced in the rear-view mirror, glad to see her niece was engrossed in a book.

"Oh, you mean why he's the one I wanted to marry? Beside that other detail."

"Right." She was already sorry to have brought it up.

Serah looked out the window for a time. Lightning wondered if she was even going to answer.

When her sister spoke, she seemed to choose her words with care. "Because whenever I was with him, it felt like I was home. Like there was no other place I'd rather be. Or needed to be," she added. "When he held me I felt safe. When he said he loved me, I trusted him. When he asked me to marry him, I wasn't afraid." Serah looked across the car at Lightning. "And I still feel that way. Does that answer your question?"

Lightning drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for a group of kids to cross in front of her. "Yeah, I suppose."

Serah reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "It's probably a lot like you and Fang, being as close as you are. Just, without the marriage part, of course."

Her hands tightened. "Right."

Lightning finally managed to free them from the school grounds, only to enter rush hour traffic. Serah spoke once it was clear Lightning was finished with the subject.

"I noticed Aerith came over to talk to you. Did she need something?"

Raising her thumb off the steering wheel as a small shrug, Lightning said, "She wants to talk. I don't know what about. I think it's something to do with Fang and her."

"Has Fang said anything to you?"

"No."

Serah hummed thoughtfully, but she didn't comment further.

Arriving at the grocery store, Sophie made it clear she wanted to hold Lightning's hand, so Serah volunteered to push the cart. When they got back to the car and drove to Serah and Snow's house, Sophie told Lightning all about her day at school. After putting the groceries away, Lightning sat a while longer to listen to her niece until Serah announced it was time for homework.

After taking her own groceries home, Lightning dialed Aerith's number.

…

When she arrived at the coffee shop, Aerith was sitting at a table with two cups.

"I hope you don't mind. Fang told me what your favorite was."

"Thanks," Lightning said as she sat down. It wasn't awkward to meet with Aerith, but generally Fang wasn't far off when they did. Lightning didn't make any effort to create conversation, but Aerith seemed prepared.

"Fang talks a lot about you. It's actually kind of sweet."

Lightning shrugged, noting Aerith's smile appeared genuine. "We grew up together."

Aerith nodded. She looked at her coffee, giving Lightning a moment to drink her own before looking back up. "How did you two meet, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Fang hasn't told you?"

"Some of it. I'd like to hear your take."

Lightning settled over the table with her elbows, holding her coffee with both hands. She looked off to the side as she thought back, having been a long time since she'd had to remember. "We met in middle school. Fang transferred in halfway through the first year." She'd switched foster parents and was raised with Vanille, though Lightning didn't know that right away.

Sitting on the edge of her chair, Aerith was an avid listener. "So what made you both friends?"

"I beat her in track."

Aerith's eyebrows raised. "Oh yeah? That would be just like you two."

Fang had become popular as soon as she arrived and seemed to acquire plenty of friends with ease. Lightning found out later from Fang that despite this, being a transfer student made her feel as though she never fit in. "I didn't talk with her much at first, but we both signed up for track. She... liked to boast a lot when she was younger."

"You mean compared to now?" Aerith teased.

Lightning nodded, air passing through her nose in a small sound of amusement. "First day of practice she said she could beat all of us at any event." Lightning shook her head. "Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to her. She was good, but she couldn't beat me at any of the racing events."

Aerith actually laughed out loud. "I bet that got her attention."

While sipping her coffee, Lightning thought back on that time before admitting, "I thought she was upset with me because she kept giving me looks at the end of an event. She looked so frustrated."

Aerith chuckled. "I remember Fang told me she liked you because you never gave her a chance to _be_ upset. Let's see what was it she said..." Aerith lifted her chin and thought for a moment. "'It's like she had a job to do, and that's all she cared about,'" she said in her best Fang accent. "'She didn't give a shit about me except when I was catching up.'"

The corner of Lightning's lips curved slightly, feeling oddly pleased by the words. Boy had Fang tried to catch up.

"I'm not sure when we started talking." Lightning continued. "I think it was at the start of a race. Eventually we were sitting next to each other on the bus." It was so long ago now the most she could remember was that Fang always sat on the aisle side, and she was always the one talking.

Once they entered high school they were nearly inseparable. When Lightning's parents died in a car accident, Fang and Vanille were there for both her and her sister. To this day Lightning believed the only reason she didn't drop out of school was because of Fang. At the same time, Fang admitted she only applied to colleges because of Lightning. Eventually, both acquired full-ride sports scholarships to the same university.

Lightning didn't say any of this to Aerith, however. Some memories were simply too personal, while others were too dear to be given words. As Lightning drank her coffee, she thought about how to alter the conversation, but Aerith was already talking by the time she set her cup down.

"Fang won't talk much about her past, when she was a kid," Aerith began, fidgeting a bit with the edges of her sleeves. "I don't want to push her, of course, but that's... the problem I think we're having. Communication. Connection. She won't let just anyone in. I mean we haven't been dating long, but... It's like there's been very little progress, you know?"

Aerith looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she smiled at Lightning. "But she's already let you in a long time ago. It's not hard to see that. She's been talking about you quite often, recently. She does that when she's worried about you." She laughed softly, looking down at her coffee. "I'm sorry, it probably sounds like I'm blaming you. I don't mean it that way at all. I guess I'm just... envious. Maybe a little jealous? Fang is a wonderful, loving person. It's hard not to imagine and want what she could give if she opened up more."

Lightning shifted her fingers around her coffee cup. "Maybe it just needs more time," she answered gruffly.

"Yeah. Maybe." They were both quiet for the next few minutes, silently sipping their coffee. "Thank you, Lightning," Aerith finally said.

Lightning waved a hand. "Light is fine."

Aerith smiled. It was easy to see what Fang saw in her. She was kind, intelligent, pretty. She had a warm heart, and she seemed willing to offer that to someone who would accept it.

Aerith was gracious enough then to switch the conversation to work and Sophie, and they continued talking after their coffee was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Lightning leaned back against the railing that separated the parking lot from the beach and watched the seagulls flying overhead. When a familiar car pulled in nearby, she pushed away from the railing and wandered toward it.

The wind picked up as it often did, tugging at Fang's hair and clothes. She tied it back as they took the stairs down to the sand, and they removed their shoes and socks before beginning their stroll. It was a chilly, cloudy day, but it was less noticeable with Fang walking beside her.

"You know that guy you turned in couple weeks ago for drunk driving?" Fang was saying. Her hands were stuffed in her jacket, eyes pointed toward her feet. "The one that tried to run and hurt himself?"

"He tried to blame it on me, but he tripped over his own shoelaces." Lightning found herself eyeing Fang's profile against the waves and slowly setting sun. Strands of hair had pulled themselves free. Her eyes were relaxed, and her lips held a loose smile.

Fang chuckled, flashing a quick smile toward her. Lightning's heart skipped and she looked away. "Yeah, that one. I had him as a patient today."

Lightning raised a brow at the sand. "Really?"

"Yep. Could hardly get him to do any stretches without him crying and whining." Fang shook her head. "I don't know how you deal with some people in your job. Most of mine thank me at least."

Lightning didn't give an answer, though Fang probably didn't expect one. It wasn't a matter of how she did it; she simply did.

"So how's your new partner? You guys work together alright? It's been what, a couple months now?"

"Yeah. She's good. Stays focused." Lightning shrugged.

Fang gripped Lightning's shoulder and shook her gently. "So long as she watches your back, I won't have to come after her."

Lightning acknowledged her with an amused nod. Fang dropped her hand, and remained quiet afterwards, giving Lightning a chance to talk since she'd been the one to call for this visit. She could only avoid Fang's messages and calls for so long before she needed to suck it up and talk to her friend.

She took a deep breath. "I need to take some time for myself. Be alone for awhile." She swallowed through a sudden knot in her throat. It could have been said over the phone, but she wanted to see Fang one more time before her feelings were boxed away.

Fang nodded, looking a bit sad. This wasn't the first time that Lightning had asked for space and time to herself when she was stressed, though in the past Fang was usually aware of the reasons for it.

"Figured that's what you were thinking." There was a pause where it seemed Fang was searching for her next words. When she didn't come up with anything, she touched a hand to Lightning's shoulder, only to think better of it and dropped it a second later.

Lightning's heart ached with a sharp twist. She turned toward Fang mid-step and hugged her, pressing her nose into her warm neck. Arms wrapped back around her. "I just need to think through some things. Get my head straightened out."

Fang rested her cheek against Lightning's head. "Sure, Light. Take all the time you need. I just... I don't wanna push you on it, but I can't help worrying that it's something to do with me. That I did something wrong."

"You've done nothing wrong." Lightning shook her head. "It's not you. It's... stuff in my head I need to work through."

Fang sighed, but tightened her arms around her. "Okay."

When they released each other, they turned around and headed back for the stairs. They were quiet again before Lightning asked with a rough voice, "How is it going with Aerith?"

Fang smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It's going alright, I think. We've been working through some things recently. She said she talked with you over coffee last week?"

"Yeah. She's nice."

"What did you talk about? Or is that a secret?" Fang nudged her teasingly.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You, of course. And work."

"What'd you say about me? Anything good?"

Fang nudged her a few more times, managing to get at least a small smile out of her. Eyebrow raised, Lightning looked at her from the corners of her eyes. "That you suck at running."

Fang's jaw dropped right before it snapped back into place to fight against a grin. She glanced pointedly between the stairs and Lightning before tearing her hands from her pockets and breaking into a sprint, kicking sand up with her bare feet. Lightning gave her a second head-start.

Lightning reached the stairs first, but she only made it up a few steps before Fang caught her from behind, growling a little as she tossed her over her shoulder. They were both laughing as Fang carried her up the stairs.

…

There was only one other person Lightning knew of who could punch and kick harder than Fang. It was her police partner and current sparring opponent, Tifa Lockhart.

Seconds into their match, Lightning was certain the only thing keeping her from being knocked flat on her back was her own speed and flexibility. She could throw punches as good as the rest of them, but to risk doing so without getting walloped right back was a feat in itself.

And though it should have been impossible, she was almost certain Tifa was holding back. With this in mind, the majority of their spar consisted of Lightning dancing about the mat, throwing jabs where she could.

Eventually Tifa got inside her guard and bodily threw her to the ground. Lightning scrambled out of countless grappling attempts while attempting some of her own; she could've sworn she even heard Tifa swear a few times. But after what felt like an eternity of rolling each other across the mat, Lightning's face was smashed into it and her arm became permanently locked at her back. She tapped the ground with her free hand and the pressure lifted immediately.

Tifa rolled onto her own back, panting heavily. She made several attempts to speak before she succeeded. "You're like a hummingbird, Lightning. I can barely touch you."

"As my side is telling me," Lightning groaned into the mat, "you succeeded a few times."

Tifa chuckled, though it sounded like the effort was painful. They laid there silently for a few more minutes to recover. Tifa rolled her head toward Lightning and back toward the ceiling. "I hear you've been taking more shifts on your own recently."

Lightning grunted. "Got more time on my hands."

"That's fine. I'm not telling you what to do or anything." Tifa waved a hand vaguely in the air. "Just don't burn out on me."

Lightning shrugged. "I'll be fine."

After a few more minutes Tifa took a deep breath and hefted herself off the floor. Lightning pushed herself to her knees, and Tifa offered her a hand the rest of the way up.

"We should probably hit the showers before we're too sore to move."

Lightning winced as she rubbed her side. "Sounds like a plan."

She checked her phone before and after her shower, frustrated with herself for expecting messages she shouldn't. Tifa glanced at her when she made a deep sigh but didn't comment.

The first week hadn't been too bad. She missed Fang, but it had been bearable. Now she was feeling more irritated every few days, like there was a constant itch she couldn't scratch. A nagging addiction with no way to take the edge off.

Not only was she more irritated, she was _bored_. It was fun being around Fang and getting random texts from her throughout the day, looking forward to meeting up with her later in the week. That became glaringly more obvious in Fang's absence.

The only time she could fully ignore it was when she was working.

At the end of a month without seeing or hearing from Fang, Lightning was in Chief Amodar's office asking for more work.

Amodar rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "Farron, you've been working double shifts for the last two weeks, I am not about to start letting you have a third." He dropped his hands and gave her a firm, though not unkind look. "As much as I'd like to have you out there twenty-four seven, I also need you at your best."

Lightning's back stiffened. "I am always at my best."

"The answer is no. You're dismissed."

After biting out a "Yes, sir," Lightning marched out of Amodar's office and back to her desk. Tifa looked up from her adjacent desk when Lightning sat down hard enough to make the chair creak in a concerning manner.

She could hear Tifa shuffle papers before asking, "He say something you didn't like?"

Lightning grunted. She stared harder at her computer screen trying to remember what the hell she'd been doing earlier.

"You're not trying to get a new partner, are you? I thought we were getting along well."

Lightning shook her head. "No." She stopped and corrected herself. "I'm not trying to get a new partner." She took a deep breath and tried to refocus, grateful when Tifa eased up her questions and went back to her own work.

When it was time to go home, Tifa spoke to her as she was packing up. "You know, I'm still kinda new in town. I haven't had a lot of time to explore the city or make any friends here. Maybe you could help me out? Know any fun places around here?"

Since the prospect of going home wasn't too thrilling anymore, Lightning nodded and tried to think of what she used to do before spending time alone.

She had Tifa follow her as she drove further into town. They parked in front of a building with a sign that read _Katzroy's Firing Range_ above the door.

Tifa laughed as soon as she stepped from her car. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised this would be your idea of fun."

As soon as they stepped inside, Sazh Katzroy greeted them with his usual friendly enthusiasm and quickly set them up on the firing range.

There were several other occupants in the room. Lightning felt infinitely calmer as soon as she was able to focus on the target in front of her. Bullet after bullet marked over the red dot in the center, each pull of the trigger steadying her, the hum of other shots merely background noise to drown out her thoughts.

She didn't know exactly when it was only the two of them left. After emptying a clip, she saw Tifa motion to her from the corner of her eye.

"Damn," she heard Tifa whistle as she lowered her earmuffs. "I don't think I've seen anyone shoot like that before. You must spend a _lot_ of time here."

"Fang and I come here often." Lightning bit the inside of her cheek as soon as the words were out. She hadn't been thinking at all, her mind an empty vacuum that now flooded with thoughts of her friend. She remembered Fang standing in the lane where Tifa was, making goofy faces at her through the glass that separated them. When Fang talked it was either to joke at her own terrible aim or to tell Lightning, again, how impressed she was with her accuracy.

Always putting just a bit more effort in to make Lightning smile or even laugh.

When was the last time she'd let herself laugh...

"A friend of yours?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah."

Tifa shifted on her feet. "She live in town?"

Lightning swallowed. "Yeah." She put her earmuffs back on, thankful when Tifa followed suit, and reloaded her gun. She pulled the trigger in quick succession, hoping to return her mind to its earlier void. When the gun clicked empty, she continued staring down the sight for a while longer.

* * *

 **I look forward to hearing from you guys like nothing else. It really brightens up a day when my phone buzzes at me with a notification of a review. Thanks so much for reading :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Lightning saw the crash happen with her own eyes. She had the radio in hand as soon as the compact car tried to speed out in front of a semi-truck, which had been too heavy to slow down in time. Cars behind the truck screeched on their breaks and piled into each other.

It was near the end of her first shift, but none of that came to mind now. She spent seemingly endless minutes helping the paramedics extract wounded passengers and direct traffic.

Tifa rode in with another officer sent to relieve Lightning. It was time for her second shift.

"Why don't you let me drive?" was the first thing Tifa said. "You look like you could use some coffee."

Lightning simply nodded, her feet crying in relief as soon as she dropped into the passenger seat. It was two hours and several tickets later before she got her coffee, and another hour before she could take more than a few sips.

"One of those days, huh?" Tifa said sympathetically.

Lightning grunted into her lukewarm coffee.

"Let's stop and get something to eat. Give you a moment to breathe."

She wanted to argue, but if there was one thing she'd learned while working with Tifa, it was that she could and should trust her judgment. They weren't in an occupation where mistakes could be excused lightly. With that in mind, she remained silent as they pulled into a small cafe and walked inside.

"Two coffees and two bagels, please."

The woman at the register smiled, one hand in her back pocket as she typed up their order, leaning forward slightly. "Sure, officer. What kind of bagels?"

After Lightning gave their order, they went to an outside table to wait.

"She was cute," Tifa remarked offhandedly as they sat down.

"Hm?"

At Lightning's blank look, Tifa gestured with her chin. "The woman flirting with you at the counter."

"Oh." Lightning blinked, and then shrugged.

"Not your thing, huh? I think the barista gentleman was also looking at you?" She added searchingly.

Lightning just shook her head, turning her attention to the nearby intersection.

"Okay, strike two," Tifa nodded with amusement. "Well, I didn't want to say anything, but I think the bagels were really checking you out. And honestly, I'm a little jealous."

Lightning snorted. "That's fine, I guess."

Tifa tipped her head back and laughed.

Their drinks and toasted bagels were brought out. A phone number was written on Lightning's coffee cup, and she glanced in the window to find she was being watched. She rolled her eyes when Tifa wagged her eyebrows.

They remained comfortably quiet as they put whipped cream over their bagels and sipped coffee, all while constantly observing the area around them – Lightning pointedly not looking back through the window.

Not finding anything interesting, Tifa crossed her arms casually on the table, making it obvious she was thinking something over before she spoke. "My ex and I used to joke about food like that sometimes. And since I liked baking, she'd often tease about being into me for my muffins." Tifa lifted a brow in a thoughtful and amused manner. "She was gray-asexual, so it was probably true most of the time."

Lightning looked up at that. "Gray?"

Having caught her attention, Tifa nodded and leaned forward. "It varies for people, but in general it can be someone who doesn't usually experience sexual attraction but can feel it sometimes."

Rolling a napkin around in her hand, Lightning's thoughts jumped at the new information. She gave it a moment to digest before speaking. "I'm... well, I thought I was ace, but..." Worry made her lips tighten. Had she been wrong? She discovered asexuality more or less by chance a long time ago. It had felt right at the time. Validating. She brought it up with Fang, who had given it some genuine thought, and helped her talk it through.

Tifa was waiting patiently for her to continue. Lightning took a slow breath, loosening her grip on the napkin. For months her own feelings and thoughts had warred with each other, clawing at her when she refused to speak to anyone about it. But she trusted Tifa, who had proven herself time and again during their work and conversations, and knew she would hold her confidence.

"I have a friend I've been... noticing more. We've known each other for a long time, but it's only been in the last few months that I feel different around her." There was a weight gradually lifting from her as she talked, finally able to confess to someone, and it encouraged her to continue. "That's why I'm... confused. I've never experienced any sort of attraction, and now suddenly I can't stop thinking about my best friend."

Tifa was nodding. "You're close to her, then?"

An image of Fang came to her mind, comfort and warmth following close behind. "Yes."

"Well, I'm no sex doctor, believe it or not," Tifa mused while reaching for something in her pocket, tilting her head toward Lightning to emphasize the dry humor, "but you could be demisexual, or demiromantic, where you don't experience those attractions until you're emotionally close with someone." She pulled out the notepad and pen she used to take notes from scenes and victims of crimes, and scribbled a couple of words down before tearing the paper out and handing it over. "You might try looking it up. See if it makes any sense to you."

 _Demisexual_ and _Demiromantic_ were written on the note. Lightning stared at it for a second before glancing back up. "Thanks."

"Thank my ex. I learned all of it from her." They were close to finishing their bagels, well aware they'd been dallying a bit too long. As they gathered their items, Tifa asked, "Have you told your friend? How you feel, I mean."

"No." Lightning balled up her napkin and threw it in the outdoor trashcan. "She has a girlfriend."

Surprise mixed quickly with sympathy in Tifa's quiet, "Ah."

Squealing tires caused both of them to snap their attention up. Through the nearby intersection, a small, beat-up looking truck swerved and skidded around a turn, narrowly missing oncoming traffic. Lightning and Tifa were already hurrying to their patrol car.

"You drive," Lightning said.

"Right."

They jumped into their car, flipped the lights on, and roared into pursuit. Lightning had the radio in hand, relaying information.

Once Lightning put the radio down, Tifa quipped, "So much for relaxing."

Another patrol car caught up with them, lights on and blaring as they trailed behind. The truck they chased was swerving erratically, and Lightning was foreseeing a quick and ugly end to this pursuit if they couldn't get it off the road soon.

"Get up on his left side if you can. Try to make him take this side street up ahead."

Tifa did so without question, putting more weight on the gas pedal and edging closer to the truck's rear bumper.

"If he turns don't follow, just keep going and take the next one."

"Got it."

The truck swerved chaotically around the corner. The second patrol car hit its breaks hard to take the turn as well. Lightning looked down the street. It was empty, and the next block forced a left turn.

"Good. This one here."

Tifa brought them smoothly onto another empty street. She gunned the engine down the next block. As soon as they emerged onto the next street, the truck had just turned the corner. It swerved at the sight of them, carrying itself over the sidewalk and into a tree.

Tifa and the second patrol car pulled up a small distance away. They got out cautiously, drawing their guns. The front of the truck was badly damaged. It was difficult to see the inside.

"Get out of the car and on the ground!" Tifa shouted as they approached the truck, Lightning and Tifa on the driver's side while the third officer was on the passenger side.

There was movement inside the cab. Tifa repeated the command, ordering for their hands to be visible. The passenger door opened abruptly and a woman stumbled out, making a run for a nearby alley.

"Stop! Get on the ground!" Tifa yelled.

As Tifa turned toward the runner, Lightning's eyes flicked back to the truck to see the window of the driver's door slide down.

"Gun!"

The next seconds were a blur. She was shoving Tifa aside. She was aiming. She was pulling the trigger. Twice. Three times. The driver's head snapped back. Motionless. Lightning moved forward, gun level. The door of the car was locked, but with a clear wound in the driver's skull, she simply reached inside to open it.

Only when the gun was secured in her own hand did she feel herself breathing.

Over her radio she heard Tifa calling for paramedics. Another patrol car that had been en route to their location would soon confirm they'd captured the runner.

"You okay there?" Tifa walked up next to her.

Lightning looked back at her and followed the gaze to her own shoulder. That was when she became aware of the pain. The bullet had grazed her flesh, tearing her shirt sleeve, and blood was dripping down her arm.

She shrugged offhandedly. "It's fine." It hurt but she would live, and the bullet clearly hadn't lodged itself.

Tifa gave a short laugh that sounded like disbelief, placing a firm hand on Lightning's uninjured shoulder. Nothing more was spoken aloud; all that needed to be said was transferred between their eyes. In the distance, they could hear more sirens fast approaching.

…

They were still at the station late into the evening, having plenty of reports to fill for that day. Lightning hadn't made much progress in the last half hour because she was allowing Serah to rail into her ear. After promising for the twentieth time that she'd be more careful, and again that she'd visit tomorrow, she hung up, tossed her phone on the desk, and leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh.

Tifa smiled sympathetically at her, hunched over her own reports. "You gonna tell her about those stitches in your arm?"

"Not if I don't have to," Lightning mumbled. She stared at her phone for another minute. She needed to call Fang. If she had been listening to the police scanner at that time...

Lightning rubbed at her eyes. It had been a long day, and her mind was becoming sluggish for it. But if she left now it was possible for her reports to snowball into each other, and then she'd _really_ have a headache.

With another sigh she sat up and wheeled herself closer to the desk. Her phone buzzed just as she picked up her pen, and she glared across her desk when Tifa failed to hold back a snort. Glancing briefly at the device, she thought at first to simply respond later.

She did a double-take.

Picking up her phone, Lightning stared at it for a second before swiping the screen. She read the message several times before she was able to process what it meant, making glances toward the windows and back.

She got up and put her jacket on. "I'll be right back," she said as she walked quickly to the door, heart thumping wildly.

The visitor's parking lot was well lit. It was easy enough to spot the single car parked there, and the tall woman leaning against it. Lightning paused at the edge of the lot just to look at her.

Fang was staring down at her phone, a large brown paper bag tucked under one arm. She was holding her lower lip between her teeth.

Stepping toward her, Lightning let her soles scrape on the pavement. Fang looked up sharply, eyebrows arched in question, then higher in surprise. Lightning felt her breath softly hitch at the sight.

Fang pushed uncertainly away from her car and put her phone away. Scratching the back of her head, she lifted the bag up. "Uh, I thought maybe-" Lightning walked straight into her, arms going right under her jacket to the warmth she knew she'd find.

She heard the bag drop. Fang's arms circled her fiercely, nose pressing to her hair, hand at the back of her head. Lightning only held her tighter, feeling like she was right where she needed to be.

"You heard?"

"On the scanner, yeah."

Lightning adjusted her head on Fang's shoulder. Tension eased from her as she leaned against her friend. "How did you know I was here?"

Fang gave a short laugh. "Where else would you be after something like this?"

Lightning rolled her eyes, more to herself since Fang couldn't see. She heard Fang swallow.

"You were... you were shot at?"

Lightning made a small sound of affirmation.

"Can I see?"

"There's nothing to see."

Fang pulled back enough to look her in the eye.

Sighing, Lightning took her arm out of one jacket sleeve and raised the sleeve of her shirt – a work out shirt since her uniform was now bloodied and in need of repair – to show the white bandage.

"It's just a scratch," Lightning muttered when Fang didn't say anything. She quickly put her jacket back on.

"' _Just a scratch_ ' she says," Fang repeated, her voice shaking. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No, that was it-"

Fang hauled her back into her arms, mindful of the wound. "Shit, Light." Fang breathed into her hair. "Shit."

Lightning closed her eyes as Fang held her tightly, letting herself be coddled by the only person allowed to. She drank in Fang's scent and Fang's warmth, like the sun on a warm day at the beach. Happiness rose in her heart at the reminder that she was with her friend again.

"I was-" Lightning cleared her throat to get better control of her voice. "I was going to call you. But it got late."

"It's okay, Light," Fang said with a short laugh, pulling back again to look at her. "I know how you work." She cupped Lightning's neck with both hands, thumbs brushing her cheeks.

She had such wonderful hands. They were gone too soon.

As if remembering something, Fang looked to the ground. "Oh, I brought, um." She crouched and picked up the brown bag, the contents having stayed relatively intact. "I brought you some take out. I didn't know what to get so I just picked a bunch of things. I can't even remember what half of it is, and it probably needs to be heated up. I've been standing out here for a good half hour wondering what I was doing."

Lightning looked at the bag in Fang's arms, noting it likely contained more than enough food for five people at least.

Fang's eyes wavered. "I can just leave it here for you, in case. You know. I just had to see you for myself."

Lightning scoffed, feeling a smile come to her eyes. "Come in."

"Are you sure?"

Lightning turned and gestured with her head in the same motion. Fang hurried to catch up, grinning all the while.

Tifa looked between them curiously as they came in. She stood up to introduce herself while Lightning found paper plates for all of them.

After warming the food, Tifa and Lightning ate greedily, letting Fang do most of the talking. She told them about work at the gym that day, about how Miss Thompson had been asking after Lightning.

Lightning felt herself relaxing in a way she hadn't for a long while. She was grateful Fang was there, sitting next to her, sharing her desk as they ate. Listening to her, like she always enjoyed doing.

"Alright. I should probably go and let you two get back to work," Fang said finally. "Too much goofing off going on around here. And you," she reached over to Lightning and put a hand on her upper back, thumb and index finger curved around her neck, "you need to take some time off. I can see it in your eyes you've been overworking yourself again."

Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Promise?"

"Yeah, yeah. I promise."

Fang nodded and stood, grabbing her jacket.

Tifa was watching her in awe. "You'll have to teach me how to do that."

Fang chuckled. "Years of practice. Oh hey." She turned back to Lightning. "Are you ready to start hanging out on the weekends again? We're all thinking of going bowling. Snow wanted to bring Sophie along."

Lightning nodded. "Sure."

Fang pointed at Tifa. "You're invited too, if you like."

"I'll see if I have time," Tifa answered politely.

Fang smiled and nodded, ruffling Lightning's hair a bit before taking her leave.

As soon as the door closed behind Fang, Tifa whistled. Lightning raised a brow at her, aware of the odd look she was receiving.

Tifa spun a pen thoughtfully with her fingers. "Your friend is... very nice."

Lightning sniffed and pulled some reports back in front of her. She was used to people commenting on Fang like that. "She has a girlfriend."

Tifa held her hands up. "I wasn't saying it for me." Lightning glanced at her, but Tifa had returned her attention to her own reports and said no more.


	6. Chapter 6

Fang began her approach, swinging the bowling ball smoothly, releasing it at just the right time. It curved beautifully down the lane, rolling a hair's breadth away from the front pin and knocking over the one on the far left.

Spinning back toward her silent audience, she gave a victory shout. She reached a hand to Vanille, who obliged her with the most unenthusiastic of high-fives.

Fang smugly regained her seat between Lightning and Aerith, resting an arm behind the latter.

"Let's see what you got, sunshine."

Lightning tightened her glove as she went to retrieve her bowling ball, thankful again that the stitches from the bullet wound were in her nondominant arm. It was simple enough to keep it out of Serah's sight with her sleeve.

She lined up, eyes finding the desired spot on the lane, and made her approach. She could feel it was off as soon as the ball left her hand. It connected just left of the front pin and sent each one flying. A strike.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath.

"The hell was tha-"

" _Fang_."

Slapping a hand over her mouth, Fang's eyes darted to Serah, and then Sophie. "Sorry." Serah narrowed her eyes but let her off the hook after a second. When Lightning sat down again, Fang looked at her suspiciously. "What are you smiling about?"

Lightning's smile was more of a subtle smirk. "You got in trouble."

Fang scoffed and bumped their knees. "Says the one who lost this round. What're we at now?"

"You have J-A-Y-W," Lightning said, saying each letter as she watched Snow help Sophie with her turn. "I have up to Y now."

"I still don't understand this game you're playing," Aerith commented.

Vanille, sitting in the seat in front of the lane controls, tilted her head back. "Neither do the rest of us."

Fang groaned and dropped her head onto Aerith's shoulder, pressing her nose to her neck. "It's not that difficult. Honestly."

Lightning felt her lips tighten, but forced herself to relax with a deep breath. She had gotten better. Her feelings for Fang were still there, still noticeable, but she didn't feel blinded by them. Even if it wasn't as close as she wanted, she still had a place next to her best friend. She could be content with that. She would make herself be.

After finishing her turn, Sophie ran back to the seats and straight to Lightning.

"Did you see that, Aunt Light?"

Lightning put a hand on top of her head. "You almost got a spare. Well done." Grinning wide, Sophie ran back to her mother to relay the good news.

Warm breath touched her cheek, followed by a quiet drawl, "She adores you, you know?"

Lightning made a small humming noise, directing her attention away from the lips near her ear. "What are we aiming for this time?"

Crossing her legs, Fang leaned back as she thought about it. "Why don't we try a split?"

Lightning raised a brow at her. "You're not going to win like that."

"Neither will you."

"You think so, huh?"

"I know so."

They started knocking each other's knees back and forth until Aerith, her eyes tinged with amusement, made a clicking sound with her tongue. "You're both going to get in trouble if you don't stop it. I have first graders who behave better than you two."

"She's not wrong," Serah commented while watching Snow bowl for his and her turn. Her stomach had become noticeably round, so she was resigned to simply watch and not give everyone else a heart attack.

Fang turned mischievous eyes toward Aerith, asking under her breath, "Are you gonna give me detention?"

Aerith's cheeks colored, chastising gently, "Fang..."

Lightning stood up. She was okay sitting next to Fang and her girlfriend, but she certainly didn't need to subject herself to their flirting. "I need to use the restroom."

Her wrist was caught before she could take a single step away.

"Woah- Light come on, I was just kidding. I'm sorry."

She looked down in surprise at the hand wrapped firmly around her arm.

Fang's eyes were a strong mix of worry and apology. "I'm sorry Light, I shouldn't have said that next to you. I know you don't like hearing that kind of thing."

Lightning noticed Aerith was giving Fang an odd look, almost in surprise herself. She peered up at Lightning. Their eyes caught for a split second before Aerith looked away, a small frown across her lips.

Confusion rattling her, Lightning twisted her hand free. "Right. It's fine." She gestured vaguely toward the restrooms. "I'll be right back."

Lightning stripped the bowling glove from her hand and bodily threw open the bathroom door. She went to the sink, slapping her glove on the counter before splashing cold water in her face. _Fang, you idiot._

She was staring at her reflection, watching the water drip from her nose and chin, when the door opened.

Eyes searching as she entered, Aerith spotted her and walked cautiously over, an arm across her stomach and gripping the opposite elbow.

Lightning dropped her gaze and splashed more water on her face. "Isn't your turn soon?"

"I asked Fang to bowl for me." Aerith leaned against the counter, still facing her. "I, uh. I just wanted to say I don't blame you. For anything."

Lightning grabbed a dry paper towel and dabbed it on her skin. "What do you mean?"

Aerith chewed on her lip for a moment "I thought a lot about what you said when we talked last time. And, uh," she looked down, rolling onto the balls of her feet and back. "Well, I don't know if it's going to work for me. With Fang." Her voice caught. She took a breath and looked at Lightning. "I mean I tried, you know. But I want to be as close to someone as they are to me. And with Fang I don't," she stopped and swallowed, gathering herself, "I don't think that's possible."

Lightning stared down at the sink. "It could just need more time," she heard herself say, her own voice low.

"Maybe, but I don't think so." Aerith smiled sadly.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Only the muffled sounds of rolling bowling balls and crashing pins could be heard outside the door. Aerith was the first to move, resting a gentle hand on Lightning's shoulder before leaving.

Lightning sighed deeply, balling the towel up in her hand and tossing it into the trash. Aerith may not blame her, but it didn't stop Lightning from blaming herself. It wasn't the first time she felt she had gotten in the way somehow of Fang and her relationships.

Before the bathroom door fully closed behind Aerith, Lightning heard her apologize to someone just outside. The voice that followed was familiar. Lightning grabbed the door and saw Tifa pull a hand away from Aerith's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, I was watching the bowlers and not where I was going," Tifa was saying. She noticed Lightning and waved. "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"It's fine." Lightning nodded back. "Aerith, this is my work partner, Tifa. Tifa, Aerith is my niece's teacher and Fang's... Fang's girlfriend."

Just as they were shaking hands, they heard Fang call to them, "Light! Hurry up, I can't wait all day to show off."

Lightning looked for Aerith, but she was already walking back to her seat, shoulders hanging a bit lower than normal. Lightning's lips thinned until Tifa nudged her, asking in a low whisper, "Why didn't you tell me all your friends were so attractive?"

Lightning couldn't help but snort and roll her eyes.

They returned to their lane. Fang was waiting with a bowling ball resting under one arm. Down the lane, only two pins remained standing in a perfectly created split.

"That's funny when you spend all day trying to show off anyway," Lightning quipped. For now, there wasn't much she could do, but she hoped to keep Fang smiling for as long as she could.

"I just have that many talents, sweetheart. Wouldn't be right to keep them all hidden." Fang grinned cheekily before turning around. She rolled the ball with a powerful swing, sending it careening toward a single pin. It hit its right-most side, knocking it against the back wall of the lane where it bounced off and knocked over the second pin on the other side.

Fang gave a victory shout as she spun around with her fists in the air.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Vanille said, offering a high-five.

With an amused expression, Tifa lifted a brow at Lightning and said, "While you settle this, I'm going to get my shoes and some food."

"Okay." Lightning pulled on her bowling glove and went to retrieve her ball from the tray.

Instead of sitting down, Fang stood to one side behind the bowling line, arms crossed and a smug smile on her face. "No one will blame you if you wanna admit defeat."

Lightning scoffed. "In what universe would I do that?" For her first throw she had to set up the split, or she would lose the round and gain another letter regardless of how her second throw turned out. She lined up with the center arrow and made her approach. Following through smoothly, she held her final pose as the bowling ball neatly rolled through the middle of the pins, knocking each one aside except the outer two.

"You were saying?" Lightning asked as she walked past Fang.

"I'm _say_ ing you still have a chance to forfeit."

"Tch." Lightning looked for her niece while waiting next to the bowling tray. "Sophie. Want to see a trick?"

The girl's face lit up and she jumped out of her father's lap. "Yeah!" She ran over to stand next to Fang, bumping into the tall woman's legs. Fang smiled down at her, automatically placing a hand on top of her head.

Well behind the start of the lane, Lightning set a bowling ball on the ground. She gently pushed it forward, adding a spin with a turn of her hand. Once it was slowly rolling away on its own, she checked that it was headed correctly toward the right side pin. She went back to the tray and picked up a second ball, lining up normally. Waiting until the first ball had reached a certain point, she made a graceful approach and sent the second ball heading directly for the left pin. Each ball connected with its target at precisely the same time, clearing the lane of pins before the metal arm dropped to sweep up.

Sophie was clapping and cheering, and Lightning was pleased to note that Fang's chin had dropped.

"Now that's just cheating."

Giving her niece a smile, Lightning picked the girl up and set her on her hip. "What do you think, Sophie? Should I still get points for that one?"

"Yes!"

Lightning raised a brow at Fang as if to say "you heard her" before carrying Sophie to the bowling tray.

"That's just cheating," Fang breathed incredulously behind her.

After helping Sophie with her turn, Lightning noticed Tifa sitting at the table behind the others where the floor was carpeted, a tray of food in front of her. Her police partner gestured her over.

"Want some fries?"

Lightning shook her head as she sat next to her. "I already ate."

Tifa side eyed her before dumping a pile of fries on the side of her tray. "Eat some damn fries."

Lightning rolled her eyes but grabbed one anyway.

As she munched on it, she heard Tifa ask someone, "Would you like some?" Looking up, Lightning noticed Fang glancing over her shoulder at them and gesture a negative.

"Nah, I'm just surprised you managed to make her eat. She's stubborn about it sometimes."

Narrowing her eyes, Lightning said, "In case you've forgotten, I am an adult."

Fang half turned in her seat. "In case _you've_ forgotten, the only reason you haven't blown away in the wind is because _I_ nag you about your food."

Lightning threw a fry at her. Sophie started laughing, Serah put a hand over her face, and Aerith had to grab the back of Fang's shirt to pull her back into her seat.

"You are _not_ having a food fight."

Fang twisted around, twitching lips evidence of an impending smile. "But she started it."

"Well I'm putting a stop to it." With the tone Aerith used, Lightning had no trouble seeing her at the front of a classroom. And despite the droop she'd seen in Aerith's shoulders before, a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

Making an exasperated sigh, Serah scolded, "Honestly, you two are a terrible example for Sophie."

Sophie giggled at Fang. "You got in trouble," she said, mimicking Lightning's earlier words.

Appearing mockingly hurt, Fang played along with the young girl while Aerith rose to start her turn. Returning attention to her fries, Lightning noticed Tifa was holding a hand over her mouth, eyes crinkled with amusement.

"What?"

Tifa took a breath. "I can only imagine you two in a classroom together."

Lightning snorted. "It was usually Fang trying to get in trouble."

"Oh, sure. Right." Tifa didn't appear to believe that one bit. The corner of Lightning's mouth curved as she reached for another fry.

Only a few minutes passed until bronze hands smacked down on their table. Continuing to munch on her fry, Lightning peered up along muscular arms and a dangling necklace to find Fang hovering over her. "If you're finished flirting over here, we still have a match to play."

Lightning started wiping her hands. "You know me so well," she retorted dryly.

"I mean if you wanna stay that's fine. You just have to declare me the winner." Fang smiled crookedly.

"Not a chance," Lightning scoffed.

Neither succeeded in their next challenge, though there was plenty of banter and Serah had to scold Fang more than once.

After Lightning returned to sit next to her coworker, Tifa asked, "Can you explain to me what sort of bowling you two are playing?"

Going back to her fries, Lightning said, "It's similar to HORSE or PIG for basketball if you've played those. We say what we're going to aim for or what the goal is before each round. Whenever we miss, we get a letter. In this case since there are a limited number of rounds, it's whoever has the most letters that loses."

"What word are you spelling?"

"Jaywalking."

Tifa snorted.


	7. Chapter 7

The first time Lightning's cellphone rang, she was outside helping Sophie gather her toys and school supplies from her parents' car before waving the couple away for the weekend. Later, when she was helping Sophie with her homework, it rang again.

"Hi, Lightning. It's Aerith. Have you talked with Fang recently?"

"No, not today. Why? Is something wrong?"

Aerith sighed heavily through the phone. Lightning could picture her dragging a hand through her hair. "We had a... talk this morning. Now I don't know where she is, and she's not answering her phone. I'm worried about her."

Lips tightening, Lightning watched her niece doodle on the corner of her paper. "I'll see if I can get ahold of her."

"Thanks, Light. Could you text me when you do?"

"Sure."

Checking her phone's history, the first call she'd missed had been from Fang. Redialing the number didn't get her an answer, but after sending a text she received a single word back.

"Let's take a break, Sophie. Want to go to the beach?"

Sophie hopped out of her seat with a cheer, and it didn't take long before they were pulling up next to Fang's car at the beach-side parking lot. Noticing a solitary figure sitting in the sand, Lightning sent a message to Aerith as she walked with Sophie down the stairs.

Before getting too far, Lightning crouched next to her niece. "I need you to do me a favor. I'd like you to stay in my sight and out of the water, okay?"

Sophie made a grumpy face, looking like she was about to stomp her rubber boot. "But I wanna play."

"I know." Lightning put a hand on her arm. "And you can, I just need you to stay where I can see you while I talk to Fang."

"What's wrong with Fang?"

Lightning glanced past her niece to where Fang sat hunched over bent knees, forehead on her arms. "I don't know yet."

Turning on her heels, Sophie made a beeline toward Fang, colliding with her side and wrapping small arms as far around the woman as possible. Fang's head popped up and twisted toward them. She gave a weak smile as she lifted an arm and tucked Sophie under it.

"Aunt Light said something was wrong," Sophie was saying as Lightning drew near.

"She did, huh?" Fang glanced at her and patted Sophie's back. "Well I'm feeling better already, thanks to you."

Lightning touched Sophie's shoulder. "Why don't you find Fang some nice seashells?" In an instant, Sophie was out from under Fang's arm and hurrying along the sand. "And remember what I said," Lightning called after her. Fang chuckled softly.

Taking a breath before she sat down, Lightning said, "I missed your call."

"S'fine. Looks like you were busy."

They listened quietly to the waves and seagulls, watching Sophie run up and down the beach in front of them, holes and footprints left in her wake. There was a small pile of shells at Fang's side by the time either of them spoke.

"Aerith broke up with me."

The sun was easing lower in the sky. By then Sophie was building a sand fort near the shallowest waves and decorating it with seashells.

Lightning looked over and saw the furrowed brow and tight jawline of her friend. Her own heart ached in response, and she placed a hand on Fang's shoulder, gripping it firmly. Fang turned her chin toward the touch, leaning slightly into it.

"Come here," Lightning said, tugging and sliding her arm across Fang's back. "Come on." Fang offered only a small amount of resistance before she caved and dropped herself into Lightning's side. Her head nestled into Lightning's shoulder, tucked under her chin.

Fang released a long-held breath, and Lightning felt her heart tear at the frailty in her friend's voice. "What am I doing wrong, Light? Why does everyone keep leaving?"

Lightning tightened her hold, turning her lips to Fang's hair. "You've done nothing wrong."

Fang sniffed and shook her head, sinking further against her. "For a while there I was afraid you were leaving me, too."

Guilt bloomed through her. Lightning squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm here," she said, willing her presence to comfort Fang while she gently rubbed her shoulder. "I'm not leaving."

She thought she heard Fang swallow before turning her face into her shoulder and neck. "M'sorry. I didn't mean that."

Lightning gently rocked her a few times. "It's okay."

Fang sniffed again and turned her head to look out at the ocean. She sighed, shifting closer to Lightning's side. She mumbled, "You must be tired of having to pick me up every time this happens."

Lightning shook her head, only realizing after a moment that she was combing her fingers through Fang's hair. "Of course not. It's not like I'm keeping track."

Fang grunted. "Probably too high to count, anyway." She tilted her chin up toward Lightning. "And you never give me a chance to repay you."

She glanced down, seeing the smallest hint of amusement in Fang's eyes. "You can do my laundry for the next week?"

Fang gave a short laugh, closing her eyes and snuggling into her. "Deal."

Watching her hand as she tucked hair behind Fang's ear, Lightning added, "The lawn needs to be mowed soon, too."

Fang grunted. "I can do that."

A corner of Lightning's mouth tilted up. "And the basement needs to be picked up."

There was a moment's pause before Fang answered. "Okay."

"And the bathroom needs to be cleaned."

"Hey, now," Fang whined. "I thought you didn't keep track." She made a weak attempt to pinch Lightning's side, who jerked and blocked the attack with an arm, amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes.

The pitter-patter of small boots on sand drew near. Sophie raced up to Fang's other side and hugged her, smushing her cheek against her shoulder.

Sophie's head popped up after a second. "Aunt Light, can Fang come with us tomorrow? Please?"

Lightning was back to drawing designs in Fang's hair with her fingertips. "If she wants to."

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"We're going to the mall. It's the one near Vanille's university, so we could invite her along, too."

Sophie started bouncing on her feet. "Please, Fang, please?"

Fang gave a light chuckle. "How can I say no to that?" As Sophie gave a victory cry, Fang turned her face into Lightning's shoulder, her tone more weighted as she said, "Thanks."

…

Lightning parked along the sidewalk where Fang waited outside her apartment complex. She dropped herself into the passenger seat with a tired sigh, startled when Lightning tossed a white paper bag into her lap.

"Food. This coffee is yours."

Fang grunted, going straight for the coffee. "You're a saint."

"Hi, Fang," Sophie greeted from the back seat, kicking her feet a little.

Pulling the coffee away from her lips, Fang turned and grinned. She reached a hand back and squeezed Sophie's knee. "Hey, sweetness. You ready to do some shopping today?"

"Yeah," Sophie nodded eagerly, a book in her lap and toys scattered along the seat.

"Good. I'm gonna take a nap on the way there, I think."

Lightning asked, "Did you call Vanille last night?"

"Yeah, she'll meet us there."

Lightning reached out and gripped her shoulder. Fang glanced her way and nodded once.

The drive was quiet. After finishing the breakfast sandwich and coffee, Fang tilted her seat back and dozed while Sophie read. They reached the mall parking lot in less than an hour, and Lightning had to shake Fang a few times to get her to wake.

"We're here."

Fang grunted, rubbing at her face as she straightened her chair. Shoulder slumped and eyelids heavy, she looked absolutely exhausted.

"You going to make it?" Lightning asked, honestly concerned.

Fang grumbled unintelligibly as she unbuckled and stepped slowly out of the car. They found Vanille inside, waiting on a bench. Sophie's running footsteps caught her attention, and she stood with a smile to take her in a hug.

"It's so great to see you," Vanille said as she released her. Then she looked up and all but leaped at Lightning to hug her tightly. Her strength and speed was still surprising, even after all these years, and Lightning barely managed to free a hand from her pocket and pat her on the back.

Then Vanille turned to Fang, her eyes drooping sadly before she latched onto her, burying her face in her chest.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Fang said, hugging back.

Lightning took Sophie by the hand. "Where should we go first? Your mom said we should find you some new clothes."

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. After releasing Fang, Vanille smiled at Sophie and crouched down so their eyes were level. "Are you excited to have a baby brother or sister?"

Sophie's smile dropped immediately and she stomped her foot. "No! I don't want one."

Vanille directed a grimace toward Lightning who shrugged a rhetorical 'What can you do?' before tugging Sophie along and switching her attention back to shopping.

They drifted in and out of various shops, getting new clothes for Sophie and shoes for Vanille, Fang following quietly along. A little past noon, they took a moment to drop their shopping bags off in their respective cars before making their way to the food court.

"What do you guys want?" Vanille asked, looking around as if she were in a candy store.

Fang mumbled, "I'm not really hungry. I'll find us a table."

"You should eat, Fang," Vanille said to her, but Fang was already walking away. Vanille cast a defeated look to Lightning.

"Get an extra plate," Lightning told her. Vanille's eye lit up and she nodded before hurrying away to her chosen vendor.

Lightning purchased a large and small plate of teriyaki chicken, rice, and vegetables. She gave the tray with the small meal to Sophie to carry, and they wandered through the maze of tables to Fang. Vanille found them soon after and set an empty plate in front of Fang, which Lightning immediately transferred some of her food to.

Fang scoffed at them. "Honestly, you two."

"Eat," Lightning said simply, sticking a fork in her rice.

Fang glanced across the table at her with a small pout and picked up the fork, using it to poke at the food.

After sitting quietly for a few awkward minutes, Vanille asked her, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Pushing rice around her plate, Fang thought quietly before she spoke. "I don't understand it, Vanille. I thought things were fine. I mean we had some arguments but... It's like this happens almost every time. I feel like things are working out and suddenly they're telling me they need to move on."

"Did Aerith say why?"

Fang sighed heavily, continually staring at her food. Vanille placed a hand on her back and rubbed comfortingly. "She said she felt like I wasn't letting her get close. We've kinda talked about that before, and I was trying to do better but-" Fang's chin jerked quickly and she stopped talking. Lightning busied herself with cutting Sophie's teriyaki chicken.

Vanille put her hand over Fang's on the table. "You've always struggled with being emotionally close to people. You and Lightning are both like that. Maybe Aerith wasn't giving it enough time."

Fang thought about that quietly before mumbling, "I guess I don't always feel like talking about some stuff."

"It's more than that, I think." Sympathy lined Vanille's face. "Remember in school you always had so many friends, but you never really let them in? The only person you ever invited to our house was Lightning."

Fang countered, "Well I kept worrying about having to leave everyone again. I had to switch homes so many times." Her eyes dropped right before her eyebrows lit up, and she looked at Vanille. "You think that has something to do with that?"

Vanille tilted her head, giving her foster sister her full attention. "You're afraid of losing people. If you don't let them in, it won't hurt as much when they're gone."

Fang stared at her untouched food. When she looked at Vanille again, she had a small, if sad-looking smile. "Look at you, putting your degree to use." Fang gave it another moment's thought before glancing across the table with a sigh. "We better eat. The little munchkin over there is beating us."

Knowing when to ease off, Vanille transferred her attention to her food as well as Sophie, engaging the girl in a serious discussion about some cartoon Lightning had never heard of.

Close to finishing their meal, Fang's shoe tapped against Lightning's shin. "Anything you wanted to get while we're here?"

Lightning nodded. "I wanted to stop by the bookstore."

Fang's mouth curved, eyes relaxing with something close to affection. "Figured you would." For a moment Lightning was caught by those green eyes and the soft smirk. Her cheeks felt suddenly warm, and she ducked her head to use a napkin.

After dumping their trays, they wandered toward the bookstore. Vanille took Sophie by the hand and led her to the children's section. Lightning mouthed a 'thank you' to her and went in the opposite direction to the mystery aisle.

"How are you feeling?" Lightning asked as she paused to scan a row of books, aware without looking that Fang had followed her.

"Better than if I were moping around at home, I guess." Fang pulled out a book at random and flipped it open. "You know, when I first invited you over I thought you'd say no. I didn't think you actually liked me."

Lightning raised a brow. "Then why'd you ask?"

Fang's crooked smile showed a hint of teeth, and she bumped Lightning with her elbow. "'Cause I liked _you_ , of course."

"Hah." It was all Lightning could manage through the skip in her heart, the book in her hands suddenly unreadable. _Of course Fang means it only as friends_ , she tried to tell herself.

Fang was still smiling at her. "I guess we'll have more time to hang out now, yeah? That doesn't seem so bad."

Lightning swallowed and huffed as she tried to hold on to her fraying composure. "Says you."

"Says me."

Lightning was saved when Fang diverted her attention to take another book from the shelf.

"Oh, you need to remind me to return all those books I've borrowed, I keep forgetting. I think I have a whole box of them now."

Lightning glanced at her friend from the corners of her eyes. "It's fine." She watched as Fang made a face at the book she was currently skimming, and felt herself smiling softly. She put her own book back and let her fingers trail across several book spines before choosing another.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Lightning slowly perused the aisle, taking her time. At some point Vanille and Sophie came to find them, several books clutched in their arms. After making their purchases, they left the store and wandered out of the mall, their errands complete.

Each of them gave Vanille a goodbye hug and waved as she went to her own car. The drive home was as quiet as the one to the mall, both Fang and Sophie sleeping soundly all the way.

...

"They broke up, huh."

"Yeah."

Tifa settled more comfortably into her seat. They were parked on the side of the road, watching traffic. "How are they holding up?"

Lightning shrugged. "As well as anyone. I've been helping Fang move her stuff out of Aerith's place. And Serah had lunch with Aerith a few times."

Tifa pondered this for a moment. She looked over. "How are _you_ holding up?"

Lightning shrugged again and didn't answer.

"You still think this is your fault, don't you?" Tifa scoffed. "Look, if you feel so guilty about it, I'll write you a damn ticket. Then you can pay your dues and move on."

Rolling her eyes to her partner, Lightning's brow lifted slightly. "How much would I owe?"

Tifa pursed her lips, giving it serious thought. "Well, there's this leather jacket I've been waiting to see go on sale."

Lightning breathed a soundless laugh and shook her head. "I know it's not... entirely my fault, but..." She trailed off and stared out the window, thinking. "I spent so much time trying to distance myself. I guess I don't know what to do now. How to act. _If_ I should act."

A hand was placed on her shoulder. "Just be there for her, like you are," Tifa advised. "You'll know what to do when the time comes."

The radio came alive, reporting a robbery at a convenience store near them.

Tifa gave her one more pat on the shoulder before turning on the sirens and guiding their patrol car into traffic. "Now let's go catch some bad guys. Nothing like fighting crime to liven up a person's day."

…

It was almost dark when Lightning made it home, parking next to a familiar car in her driveway. The lights in her house were on, and it gave her a warm feeling in her chest to know who was there.

She slid tiredly out of her car and trudged to the door, unlocked it, and removed her boots as soon as she stepped inside. The house was quiet save for a soft rumble coming from the laundry room.

"You know I was joking, right?" She called out when she spied the machines working. There was no answer.

She went further into the house, into the living room where she spied dark hair falling over the armrest of the couch. She walked up behind it and rested her elbows on the back.

Fang was asleep, one arm tucked under her head while the other loosely held a book now laying on her chest. Lightning recognized it as one she'd purchased at the mall. Smiling softly, she took the blanket off the back of the couch and gently draped it over Fang, careful not to wake her.

She went into her room to change before going to the kitchen. Noticing the pots sitting on the drying rack, when she opened the fridge she found a plate of spaghetti covered in plastic wrap. As it heated in the microwave, she also found a bowl of salad in the fridge as well as garlic bread sitting on the counter. After fixing up her meal, she sat at the table, able to see the top of Fang's head still lying on the couch.

It was... nice, having her there. Comfortable.

Fang stirred when Lightning was close to finishing her dinner. She sat up, glancing at the blanket, and then around until her eyes landed on Lightning.

"Hey," she said groggily, taking a moment to stretch and rub at her eyes. She picked the book up from her lap and set it on the coffee table, mumbling, "Sorry, I lost the page you were on."

"It's fine," Lightning said. She got up to put her plate in the sink, and then sat down on the couch. "Thanks for dinner."

Fang pulled the blanket tighter around herself, tucked her legs up onto the couch, and then plopped down on her side, head resting in Lightning's lap. "Wanna watch a movie? I put _Bourne Identity_ in."

"Sure." Lightning put a hand on Fang's shoulder as she leaned forward to pick up the remote from the coffee table. She switched on the TV and DVD player and started the movie.

As the opening credits played, Lightning peered down, watching the glow from the screen flicker over Fang's face. Giving in to the temptation, she lifted a hand over Fang's head and let her fingers sink into her hair, scratching lightly along her scalp. Fang's eyes closed briefly.

"Remember the first time I came to your house? When we were in school?" Lightning asked.

"'Course. You hardly said a word to anybody. I dragged you into my room and showed you all my toys, hoping it would impress you. Then we played video games after dinner."

"Yeah." Eyes relaxed in a soft smile, Lightning watched her fingers trail through Fang's hair. "Fang?"

"Mm?"

"Thanks for inviting me."

With a faint smile Fang reached up to the hand in her hair and gently squeezed it.


End file.
